Voltage selector and wiring terminal, particularly for use therewith



Aug. 30, 1938. V E. CLARK 2,128,726

VOLTAGE-SELECTOR AND WIRING TERMINAL, PARTICULARLY FOR USE THEREWITHFiled Feb. 6, 1935 O O 4 O O O O WIIIIIIIIHIIIII "'u'riilijg'lgllm'u' 7fivsumr/a 4 v INVENTOR Ernest Clark "A ORNEY Patented Aug. 30, 1938VOLTAGE SELECTOR AND WIRING TERRIE- NAL, PARTICULARLY FOR USE THERE-WITH Ernest Clark,

Beeston,

England, assignor to United-Carr Fastener Corporation, Cambridge, Mass,a corporation of Massachusetts Application February 6, 1935, Serial No.5,249

5 Claims.

The present invention relates to switches and more particularly tovoltage selector switches, and aims generally to improve existingswitches for that purpose.

One of the principal objects and advantages of "the invention is toimprove and simplify the construction of voltage selector switches tothe end that a simple and inexpensive switch may be made to permit oneor more electrically controlled devices to be selectively connected incircuit with different lines of varying voltages.

Other aims and advantages will be apparent from a consideration of thefollowingdetailed de- 7 scription of one preferred embodiment of the in-Y vention which is illustratedin the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing- Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the improved switch;

Fig; 2 is a similar view with the cover panel removed;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the switch;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 4--4of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the terminals according toone embodiment of the invention.

The particular embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawingmay advantageously comprise a base i of suitable insulating material,such as a fibrous or phenolic condensation insulating material to whichis connected a plurality of lead-in terminals 2, each of which may carrya particular voltage different from the other. In the illustratedembodiment, three lead-in terminals 2 are shown, and by way of examplethey may carry voltages of 210, 230 and 250 respectively. The base I mayalso be provided with a plurality of take-off terminals 3, two of whichare shown in the illustrated embodiment although it is apparent that oneor more of these terminals may be used, each of the terminals 3 to beconnected to an electrically operated device.

The base i may advantageously be mounted upon a panel 4 of suitablenon-conducting material, and is advantageously spaced therefrom by meansof insulating spaces 5 (see Fig. 4). On the side of the panel 4,opposite the base I there is a conductor strip or bus bar 6 convenientlyformed of a thin ribbon of conducting material and electricallyconnected to the take-off terminals 3 in any suitable manner, butadvantageously by means of fastening members 1 acting to secure thepanel 4, contact strip 6, base i and terminals 3 in assembled relation.Conveniently this fastening member may be in the form of a tubularfastening, such as a rivet, the ends of which are adapted to be upsetover the contact strip 6 and terminal 3, and the spacers 5 may surroundthe rivet. Thus the base i with its associated parts and the panel 4 andthe parts carried thereby are secured together in strong assembledrelation.

The strip or bus bar 6 is preferably formed with a plurality of switchplug receiving apertures 3, one in registry with each of the lead-interminals 2. Each of the terminals 2 is provided with a plug receivingsocket 9 adapted to receive and hold the end of a removable switch plugill, which preferably is formed with a conducting stem l i and anon-conducting handle portion l2.

In the form of invention illustrated in the drawing, the stem l l of theswitch plug is threaded to be screwed into a threaded opening in theplug receiving socket 9 so as to securely hold the plug in place.However, my invention is not to be restricted to this particular form ofplug as other forms of a plug or jack engaging a resilient socket 9 maybe used satisfactorily.

As will be apparent when the plug H1 is inserted in any one of theopenings 9, electrical connection is made between the registeringlead-in terminal 2 and the take-off terminal 3 through the conductingstem l I of the plug and the conductor strip 6. In this manner thetake-oil terminals may be connected in circuit with the lead-in terminalcarrying the desired voltage. Advantageously the panel member may becovered by a cover panel l3 provided with a plurality of openings it inregistry with the opening 9, and the openings it may be sufficientlylarge to receive the shouldered stem ll of the plug it so that goodelectrical contact may be made between the plug and conducting strip 6.

Either or both of the terminals 2 or 3 may conveniently be made in theform of wiring tabs as shown in Fig. 5, in which case they may bepreferably stamped from a single piece of metal to provide a body 15centrally apertured as at it having laterally extending wings ll formedwith prongs l8 adapted to be bent into clenching engagement with thebase or other support. An extension l9 apertured as at 20 provides asuitable means to which the conductor may be secured as by soldering.

It will be understood that the invention is not to be restricted to theform and construction shown and described above which is intended forillustrative purposes only, but that the invention may be embodied inother forms and arrangements within the scope of the appended claims.Also, the invention is usable for switches having one or more lead-interminals and one or more take-off terminals.

I claim:

1. A voltage selector switch comprising a relatively thin base ofnon-conducting material, a thin insulating panel superposed upon saidbase, a plurality of lead-in terminals carried by said base having aportion disposed between said baseand said panel, at least one take-01fterminal carried by said base, a conducting strip disposed on the otherside of said panel from said base and fastening means for connectingsaid base, strip and panel together, means connecting said strip andtake-off terminal in electrical contact and a removable switch plug forestablishing electrical contact between said strip and one of saidlead-in terminals.

2. A voltage selector switch comprising a narrow base of thin insulatingmaterial, a plurality of lead-in terminals and at least one take-offterminal, each of said terminals carried by said base, said lead-interminals having plug-receiving portions, a conducting strip, a widepanel of thin insulating material interposed between said strip andlead-in terminals, said wide panel overlying the lateral edges of saidbase and said terminals except at the plug-receiving portions of saidlead-in terminals, a fastening means for connecting said base, strip andpanel together, a means permanently connecting said strip and take-offterminal in electrical contact and a removable switch plug forestablishing electrical contact between said strip and lead-interminals.

3, A voltage selector switch comprising a base of insulating material, aplurality of lead-in terminals carried by said base, said lead-interminals comprising a body portion and a tab projecting laterally fromsaid body portion in substantially parallel relation to said base andadapted for connection to an electrical conductor, a take-off terminalcarried by said base and having a wirereceiving tab extending insubstantially the direction of the tabs of said lead-in terminals, aconducting strip normally insulated from said lead-in terminals but inelectrical contact with said take-off terminal, and means for optionallyestablishing an electrical conducting connection between said strip andone of said lead-in terminals.

4. A voltage selector switch comprising a thin base of non-conductingmaterial, a plurality of lead-in terminals, a plurality of take-01fterminals, each of said terminals carried by said base and having awire-receiving tab extending laterally beyond the edge of said base, aconducting strip, a thin insulating panel interposed between said stripand lead-in terminals, and means permanently connecting said strip andtake-off terminals in electrical contact and providing the sole meansfor connecting said base, strip and panel together.

5. A voltage selector device of the class described comprising a thinbase plate of insulating material, a number of independent contactsattached to said plate, each of said contacts having a wiring terminaland a connector-receiving portion, said terminal and saidconnector-receiving portion of each of said. contacts being integral onewith another, a second thin plate of insulating material covering saidcontacts except at the connector-receiving portions, a conductor stripsuperposed upon said second plate and having apertures in alignment withthe connector-receiving portions and a removable connector foroptionally establishing an electrical connection between said strip andone of said contact terminals.

ERNEST CLARK.

